Milkweeds

Friends, this natural history story is present in one photo, the bloom and two stages of buds with a spent bloom in the background, i like this kind of shot. Lots of color in the swamp milkweed, this plant grows on a tall stem with its feet in the water. Three types of milkweed grow in Crex Meadows, the common milkweed that is a pale pink, the butterfly weed that is bright orange and this swamp weed that is brilliant pink. The structure of the flowers is similar in all the milkweeds that grow here and the image below is a magnified view of the flowers. The wildflower season in Crex Meadows is winding down, but soon the prairie blazing star and goldenrod will predominate. AAAchooo!!, til Tomorrow MJ

We have tried for three years to grow milk weed, our sandy soil is not growth friendly. Instead we grow a plant called blue mist. Butterflies love the blue mist, which blooms from early spring until late fall. It also grows like a weed. jack